3 of 5 Filipinos unhappy with Arroyo performance — SWS

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo got a failing grade as her net satisfaction rating remained "bad" at -38 in the last quarter, with three out of five Filipinos dissatisfied with her performance, according to a survey by pollster Social Weather Stations. The SWS survey conducted from December 5 to 10 showed that 23% of the population was satisfied with President Arroyo's performance, while a bigger 61% (correctly rounded) was dissatisfied. "It was unchanged from the net -38 (23% satisfied, 62% dissatisfied) in September 2009," the SWS said on its Web site on Tuesday. The survey showed dissatisfaction with Mrs. Arroyo had eased in Luzon excluding Metro Manila, but worsened in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Under the SWS rating scale, a score of +50 and above is considered very good; +30 to +49, good; +10 to +29, moderate; +9 to -9, "neutral; -10 to -29, poor; -30 to -49, bad; and -50 or lower, very bad. Mrs. Arroyo's net satisfaction rating rose by 10 points in Luzon outside Metro Manila to -35 (24% satisfied, 59% dissatisfied) in December, from -45 (19% satisfied, 64% dissatisfied) in September. But in Metro Manila, it was 2 points better at -44 (19% satisfied, 63% dissatisfied) in the last quarter, from -46 (21% satisfied, 66% dissatisfied) in the previous quarter. It worsened by 13 points in the Visayas to -45 (21% satisfied, 66% dissatisfied), from -32 (26% satisfied, 58% dissatisfied) previously. Meanwhile, the President's net satisfaction rating fell by 8 points in Mindanao to a bad -35 (26% satisfied, 60% dissatisfied, correctly rounded), from a poor -27 (30% satisfied, 57% dissatisfied) before. Urban satisfaction with Mrs. Arroyo moved up to 22% in December, from 21% in September, while dissatisfaction slipped to 62% from 65%. This raised her urban net satisfaction rating by 4 points, to -40 from -44. Rural satisfaction with her slipped to 24% from 25%, while dissatisfaction went to 60% from 59%, hardly changing her rural net rating of -35 from -34. Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, said the survey results showed that Mrs. Arroyo remained unpopular. In a phone interview, Casiple traced the rise in the President's net satisfaction rating in Luzon to government relief and rehabilitation efforts following the devastation brought by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng to the region in September and October. "She poured in resources after Ondoy struck Luzon," he pointed out. Her lower ratings in Mindanao, on the other hand, were due to what residents perceived as her poor response to the massacre of at least 57 people, including 30 journalists, in Maguindanao on November 23. Dissatisfied masses Mrs. Arroyo's net satisfaction rating rose by 20 points among class ABC Filipinos, to a bad -34 (27% satisfied, 62% dissatisfied) in December, from a very bad -54 (17% satisfied, 70% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) in September. It stayed bad among class D or the Filipinos masses at -40 (22% satisfied, 62% dissatisfied) now, from -39 (23% satisfied, 62% dissatisfied). It also stayed bad among class E Filipinos, at -35 (24% satisfied, 59% dissatisfied) now, from -34 (26% satisfied, 60% dissatisfied) before. Compared with the previous quarter, satisfaction with Mrs. Arroyo among women stayed at 23%, while dissatisfaction went to 60% from 61%, keeping the women's net satisfaction score bad at -37. Among men, satisfaction with the President stayed at 23%, while dissatisfaction went to 62% from 63%, keeping her net rating bad at -39. The survey was conducted from December 5 to 10, using face-to-face interviews of 2,100 adults divided into random samples of 300 in Metro Manila and 600 each in the Visayas, Mindanao and the rest of Luzon. — with Johanna Camille L. Sisante, LBG/NPA, GMANews.TV